Running-bridge for extension-front photographic cameras.



C. E. HUTCHINGS. A RUNNHIG BRIDGE FOR,EXTENSIONFRONT PHOTOGRAPHIE CAMERAS.

(Application Hed APL 41 1902" Mfg,

No. 7l2,302. Patented Oct. 28, i902.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. HUTCI-IINGS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ROCHESTER OPTICAL AND CAMERA COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEV YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RUNNING-BRIDGE FOR EXTENSION-FRONT PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,302, dated October 28, 1902. Application filed April 4, 1902. Serial No. 101,399. (No model.)

To ctZZ- whom t may concern:

Be it known that LCHARLES E. IIUTCHINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Runway-Bridges for Extension-Front Photographic Cameras, of which the following is a specieation.

This invention relates to extension-front photographic cameras of that class in which runways are employed on the bottom of the camera-box and on the bed hinged thereto along which the camera-front may be adj usted.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a movable connection or bridge between the two runways which will not interfere with the folding ot` the bed when it is desired to swing the same upwardly to serve as a cover for the front of the camera-box and which will permit of the movement of the camera-front from one of the runways to the other without danger of sticking and without the necessity of entirely disconnecting said front from one of said runways before it can be moved into cooperative relation with the other.

Other objects of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a camera embodying my improvements, showing the cover for the front of the camera opened and the bridge-piece in operative position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, partly in vertical central section, showing the cover for the front of the camera-box closed and the bridge-piece in raised position. Fig. 3 is a plan View showing the parts in the same positions in which they appear in Fig. l, and Eig. 4 is a detail cross-sectional view of the camera-front on the runway in the camera- DOX.

Like reference-numerals indicate like parts` in the dierent views.

The camera-box 1, the bellows 2, the extension-front 3, and the bed 4, hinged to the bottom of the box l and adapted to be swung upwardly to serve as a cover for the front of era-box.

said box, may all be of any suitable or wellknown construction. The base 5 of the camera-front, however, is provided with depending claws or guides 6 on its under side, which cooperate with a short runway '7, secured to the bottom of the camera-box l. By a suitable locking device S the camera-front 3 may be secured to the said runway 7 within the camera-box l when the device is in its closed position. The bed 4 is provided on its upper side with a runway 9, located in line with the runway 7, when said bed is in its open or horizontal position. The inner end of the runway 9 is necessarily removed from the outer end of the runway 7 in order that the bed t may be swung upwardly on its hinges to serve as a cover for the front of the cam- This break between the two runways 7 and 9 has been a serious disadvantage heretofore in the construction of cameras, as it causes sticking between the camera-front and the runways, or it is necessary to entirely disconnect the camera-front from the run wayin the camera-box before the same can be brought into cooperative relation with the runway on the camera-bed. To overcome this objection, I provide a movable bridge-piece lO between the runway 7 in the camera-box and the runway 9 on the bed, so as to form a continuous, smooth, and unbroken runway between the camera-box and the bed and dispense with the necessity of disconnecting the camera-front from one of said runways before it can be moved into cooperative relation with the other. The bridgepiece 10 has been shown in the form of a fiat strip of metal of substantially the same shape as the runways 7 and 9, the same being hinged to the forward edge of the runway 7. The same is acted upon by a coil-spring 11, which tends to normally maintain the same in its lowermost or horizontal position. The said spring provides, however, for the yielding or swinging movement of said bridge-piece on its hinges. The outer end of the bridge-piece l0 lies in close relation to the inner end of the runway Y) when the bed is in its open position, and vsaid bridge-piece is formed with an opening 12 near its outer edge adapted to receive an inclined or outwardly-extending IOO stud or tooth 13 on a bracket 14, secured to the bed 4.A The said stud or tooth 13 when in engagement with one edge of the opening 12, through which it extends, serves to frictionally retain said bridge-piece 10 in its lowermost or depressed position. The bracket 14, on which said stud or tooth is formed, serves as astop for limiting the downward movement of the free end of said bridgepiece. The runway 9 on the bed 4 terminates a short distance from the inner end of said bed, and when said bed is in its open position said bridge-piece 10 overlaps the end of said bed, so as to lie in the same plane with the runway 9. The inner end of the runway 9 is formed with a beveled edge 15, which when the bed is swung upwardly on its hinges to serve as a cover for the front of the camera-box engages the front or outer edge of the bridge-piece 10 and serves to disengage said bridge-piece from the stud or tooth 13. It also so elevates the free end of said bridge-piece that during the continued closing movement of the bed 4 said bridgepiece will be still further swung upwardly on its hinges. During the reverse or opening movement on the bed 4 the bridge-piece 10 will be moved downwardly on its hinges by the action of the spring 11, and when the bed 4 has reached its horizontal position the bridge-piece 10 will form a continuation of or a connecting-link between the runways 7 and 9.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a bridge or connection between the two runways of the camera which is automatically thrown into operative position when it is desired to use said runways and is automatically ymoved out of the way when the hinged bed is swung upwardly to close the front of the l camera-box.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a photographic camera, a camera-box, a bed pivotally connected therewith, run ways carried respectively by said box and said bed, and a bridge-piece for connecting said runways.

2. In a photographic camera, a camera-box, a bed pivotally connected therewith, runways carried respectively by said box and said bed, and a movable bridge-piece for connecting said runways.

3. In a photographic camera, a camera-box, a bed pivotally connected therewith, runways carried respectively by said box and saidbed, and a pivotally-mounted bridge-piece forconnecting said runways.

4. In a photographic camera, a camera-box, a bed pivotally connected therewith, runways carried respectively by said box and said bed,

a movable bridge-piece for connecting said runways, and a spring acting thereon for moving the same into operative position.

5. In a photographic camera, a camera-box, a bed pivotally connected therewith, runways carried respectively by said box and said bed, a bridge-piece pivoted to one ot' said runways overlapping the pivotal connection between said box and bed, and cooperating with the other of said runways to bridge the space between the two.

6. In a photographic camera, a camera-box, a bed pivotally connected therewith, runways carried respectively by said box and said bed, a bridge-piece for connecting said runways, pivotally mounted on one of the same, and a stop for limiting the movement of said bridgepiece in one direction.

7. In a photographic camera, a camera-box, a bed pivotally connected therewith, runways carried respectively by said box and said bed, a bridge-piece for connecting'said runways, pivotally connected to one of the same, and a lock for maintaining the same in operative position.

8. In aphotographic camera, a camera-box, a bed pivotally connected therewith, runways carried respectively by said box and'said bed, a bridge-piece for connecting said runways, pivoted to the runway carried by said box, and having an opening therein, a stop on said bed for limiting the downward movement of the free end of said bridge-piece, and an inclined stud on said stop coperating with the opening in said bridge-piece and constituting a lock therefor.

9. In a photographic camera, acamera-box, a bed pivotally connected therewith, runways carried respectively by said box and bed, a-

bridge-piece for connecting said runways, means for automatically moving said bridgepiece into operative position when said bed is swung downwardly to its horizontal position, and means for automatically moving said bridge-piece out of the way when said bed is swung upwardly to close the front ot' the camera-box.

10. In a photographic camera, a camerabox, a bed pivotally connected therewith,

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runways carried respectively by said box and Y bed, a bridge-piece for connecting` said runways, pivotally connected to one of the same and overlapping the pivotal connection between said box and bed, means for automatically moving said bridge-piece into operative position when said bed is swung downwardly to its horizontal position, and means for automatically moving said bridge-piece out of vthe way when said bed is swung upwardly to close the front of the camera-box.

'In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. E. HUTCHINGS.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. REILLY, FRED D. MORGAN. 

